Harviestoun Old Engine Oil Special Reserve

Brewed by Harviestoun
Style: Old Ale
Alva, Central, Scotland

A very nice beer. Black and almost not carbonation. Roasted malt aroma. Very smooth palate on this beer, extremely drinkable. Flavor is not as sweet as some old ales, but there is abundant, lightly roasted malt and prominent, earth-peat like flavor. The high abv is well hidden, and I didn’t taste any whiskey.

This beer has a ncie dark brown color and a thick tan head with nice spotted laceing along the sides of the glass. the aroma is very strong with some whiskey and woody smells and tons of carmel with hops. As you drink it the beer is so smooth and creamy chocolate with a mild bitterness followed with some nice english toffee. The chocolate maltyness that coats you tounge and mouth lasts for a while with all those nice earth and woody flavors as well.

woo! 300th rating. Pours a visibly viscous black colour with a dense, late-forming light brown head that retains very well. Intense aroma filled with rich milk chocolate, oak, smoke, caramel, cherries and some single-malty peaty undertones. Chewy and rich flavours malted milk-balls, dark chocolate, black cherries, wood, tobacco, bitter herb and some hints of whisky. The booze is hidden extemely well mid-palate, but the abv becomes noticable in the finish and aftertaste. Thick, creamy body with a sticky, drying finish that coats the palate and lips. The soft carbonation complements the full, chewy body. Just outstanding!

Pours..like..well motor oil... with a small dark tan head. Aroma of chocolate and something woody. Smooth flavor of dark roasted malts, very little whiskey. Very sweet finish of dark chocolate covered fruits. There is a light akaline aftertaste to this brew. Excellent palate...nice full mouthfuls... carbonation is very subtle.

Black with a roasted barley and coffee nose. Exceptional smooth chocolate and porter stouty concoction that was great after a dairy meal, like a good coffee without the coffee. This is not a transition beer, it is for those who can appreciate this style. A non-Shelton Bros. import, and a hard one to find in the Northeast.

Bottle from Hollingshead. Pours dark black with minimal head...just a little. Sweet malty nose...maybe some toffee, light wood, and alcohol...boy did this get better as it warmed. Flavor kicks it up a notch....great malt richness...sweet and tart at the same time...very rich. The barrel has done this brew right.....medium to full bodied...I liked the non-reserve version but this is definitely better.

Bottle: As the name implies, this beer pours BLACK with a tan head. The aroma of this beer had elements of whiskey, smoke, and coffee. The taste was similar. I could taste tons of chocolate, toffee, and a bit of coffee flavors. There was also some evident whiskey and smoky flavors as a result of the aging but they were fairly subtle. This is a really delicious beer. Not that it’s of any importance, but I disagree with the classification of this beer. This definitely seems to be on the stout side of things.

Recieved this a year ago from Secret Santa, so whoever you are thank a bunch. This beer pours out pitch dark with a dark brown two finger thick head. Aroma is dark chocolate and vanilla sweetness. The taste is thick, syurpy and bold. Oak and whiskey blend well with roasted nuts and dark chocolate. Though this is barrel aged they did this right because the whiskey is only a character that adds depth rather than taking over the full flavor of the beer. Job well done.